Saturday, 10 November 2012

My Dear Killer (Tonino Valerii, 1972) DVD Review...

Tonino Valerii's only venture into the world of the gialli
flick is as much a poliziotteschi crime thriller as it is a bloody murder
mystery. George (All The Colours of the Dark, The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh) Hilton plays
Inspector Luca Peretti, the cop who is (typically enough) obsessed with
his latest case, which kicks off with a novel use for a dredger – decapitation
– one of the films stand-out set-pieces.

As Peretti's case gets ever-more-twisted, he finds himself
trapped within a complex web of deceit and a hidden truth that someone is going
to murderous lengths to keep a secret. Eventually it becomes clear that at the
heart of this growing pile of bodies is the missing child of a rich family,
that is populated by an untrustworthy group of liars and cheats – but who is to
blame and why are they resorting to cold-blooded executions?

Click "READ MORE" below to continue the review and see more screenshots...

In traditional gialli fashion, there's innumerable shots of
the killer's hands clad in black leather gloves, and right up until the closing
seconds the truth remains obscured. The plot does begin to stretch into
slightly too-convoluted territory in the second half, but with some impressive
visual flourishes, and a handful of particularly memorable death sequences,
Valerii's film holds together.

Speaking of set-pieces, this killer has a fondness for tools
– in addition to the dredger, they take an electric handsaw and use it to slice
and dice (with gushes of blood) yet another victim, and all from the
first person perspective. Indeed, it is this sequence, full of drawn-out
tension, that proves to be the film's high point.

While Ennio Morricone's score isn't one of his most
memorable, his usual charming idiosyncrasies nonetheless come to the fore. In
addition, with some stylish compositions from director of photography Manuel
Rojas, linked with razor-sharp edits by Franco (Suspiria, Inferno, Opera)
Fraticelli, My Dear Killer proves to be an effective giallo, albeit one
that never reaches the rarefied atmosphere populated by the likes of TheStrange Vice of Mrs Wardh (Sergio Martino, 1971).

Shameless Screen Entertainment's 11th release is,
being one of their earliest entries, rather scant on extras (a trailer and
some 'forthcoming attractions' is your lot). The transfer, meanwhile, does
feature some grain and print damage throughout, but considering that
the film has nice, clear audio, is here in its original aspect ratio (2.35:1)
and is the sort of flick that has usually been overlooked, it's a decent presentation. As
a matter of fact, the print damage adds to the film's gritty period charm.

Gore-hounds and bared-flesh-enthusiasts may well find
themselves a tad disappointed, but those with a penchant for an obsessed
detective being pulled deeper and deeper into an increasingly twisted murder
mystery will find plenty to enjoy here.

About Me

I am a British freelance filmmaker, as well as a writer, movie fanatic, and zombie obsessive. I am the author of "Dug Deep" and the "Celebrityville" series of books, and write for Sleaze Fiend Magazine and Homepage of the Dead. I'm the screenwriter for the upcoming film "For Want of a Nail".
Of the many filmmakers who influence me, some are: Romero, Raimi, Carpenter, Cameron, Fincher, Tarantino, Rodriguez, Kubrick, Boyle, Zombie, Martino, Fulci, Argento, Cronenberg, Marshall, Smith, Nolan, Dominik, Scott, Mann, Hooper, De Palma, Leone, Spielberg and Zemeckis.